Centrifugal machine and process



R. MACKAY, JR

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE AND PROCESS Filed Jan. 14 1919 Aug. 5!

ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 5, 1924. I

RICHARD MACKAY, JR., F RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO' THE BARRETTCOM A lie PANY, A QORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

OENTRIFUGAL MACHINE AND PROCESS.

Application filed January 14:1919. Serial No. 271,174.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD MAGKAY, J12, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gage and Riverside Roads, Riverside, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Centrifugal Machines and Processes, of which the following is aspecification. I

This invention relates to a rocess and apparatus for dividing orcommlnuting fusible material such as pitch, asphalt, resin,

etc., whereby it is prepared in a finely divjided or comminuted stateand then collectecl together in a convenient manner; It relates moreparticularly to a perforated centrifugal machine which is mounted on ahorizontal axis in a housing having a conveyor along the bottom of thehousing and so arranged that the collection of the comminuted particlesmore convenient than withthe vertical type of centrifugal. Whenperforated baskets mounted on vertical axes are used with which tocomminute fused material by projecting it outwardly through theperforations, by means of centrifugal forceand letting it cool, it hasbeen foun that a comparatively wide circular space is required throughwhich the mate- 0 rial may be permitted to be thrown out and descend tothe floor. As a result more floor space is required for a given capacitythan with thehorizontal type. This feature of minimum floor spacesecured by the use of this process is of great value. Also with thevertical type the'product is distributed over a circular area and henceis less easy to collect than in this arrangement whereby it falls in arelatively narrow rectangular space on a conveyor.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious as thedescription proceeds. Y Y The invention will be readily understood byreference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. I a side view ofthe machine, partly in section, showing how the process 60 canbe carriedout. l

line a-c of Flg. I. J

In the drawings reference character 1 refers to a housing within whichis mounted the-centrifugal machine 2 whose diameter Fig. II is asectional view taken along the is small compared to its length havingperforations 3 in its walls, and mounted in bearings 4 and 4 forrotation upon a horizontal axis. The centrifugal machine 2 is drivenfrom one end by a driving means 5 such as a motor or pulley. A feed pipe6 having outlets 7 leads preferably by means of a liquid tight fittingthrough the bearing 4 t0 theinterior of the centrifugal machine 2.

This (pipe 6 leads from a tank 8 which is provi ed with an overflow pipe0 and a upp y p conveyor 9 passes horizontally along the lower portionof the housing 1 over rollers 10 and 10, the rollers 10 being mounted atan angle so as to cause the conveyor in its travel through housing 1 toassume a trough-like shape, as shown, to prevent material fromoverflowing the edges of the conveyor. The conveyor 9 passes aroundrollers 11 which may be driven by any convenient means not shown.

The operation is as follows: The material in a hot liquid condition isfed into the tank '8 and flows through'pipe 6 to the rapidly rotatingcentrifugal machine 2 where it is distributed in a substantially uniformmanner to the interior thereof and is thrown out through theperforations 3. If desired, the outlets 7 from pipe 6 may lead outwardlyat an angle in order to feed the material in a tangential direction tothe centrifugal machine 2. The material thrown .out of the perforations2 assumes the form -of round bodies, either globular or 'filamentarywhich soon cool and fall to the floor in the form of small solid bodies.The size of the articles, when in globular form, will depend upon thenature and temperature of the material, the size of the perforations 3,and the speed and diameter of the machine 2, and the material'may beextruded either in the shape of shot-like bodies or filaments dependingupon the fluidity or plasticity of the particular materlal that is beingtreated.

It is obvious that if the material is fed from the tank 8' more rapidlythan it can escape from the perforations 3, the .machine 2 willbecome/filled and the material will finally accumulate in the tank 8until the overflow pipe 0 is reached; provided the supply from pipe S issuificientl copious. In this case it is evident that tlie pres- 7 sureat outlets 3 caused by centrifugal force is increased by the amount ofthe hydrostatic pressure of the liquid column.

Several advantages accrue from this hori zontal centrifugal machinewhich the vertical type does not possess. The material can be suppliedso that substantially the same amount reaches each one of theperforations 3 whether the machine is kept filled or not; the materialis thrown out into a narrow space confined between two vertical planes.

substantially no farther apart than the length ofthe centrifugal machinethus saving space; the comminuted material can be easily gathered up bymeans of a conveyor through this narrow space; a blast of cooling aircan be introduced near the bottom of the narrow housing and caused torise thus providing an effective cooling space to assure solidifying ofthe material before it reaches the floor, because the air passesupwardly through a considerable distan'ce filled with the particlesinstead of through a narrow band of particles as would be the case withthe vertical type; in case vapors or fumes are. given off of the hotcomminuted material, they can be easily collected due to the narrowspace within the housing, and condensed or otherwise disposed of.

The housing 1 is made sufficiently high and long so that very little, ifany, of

the material will strike the top or ends of the same.

7 It has been found in practicing this inventionthat, for example, whenpitch of about 250 F. melting point is 'used, shot of a size that willpass through a 20 mesh screen may be produced with a centrifugalmachine. havin adiameter of 8 inches and perforations 0% i inch whendriven at a speed of about 2000 revolutions per minute.

I claim:

1. The herein described process which comprises comminuting fusiblematerial by projecting it in fluid form through a series rows ofrotating apertures, each row being ina single vertical planeand theapertures in any 'particular row beingsubsta'n-.

tially\ equally spaced from a central point sothat the material from anangle to the axis of said the respective rows will be projected into aseries of vertical planes, cooling the comminuted material in air,collecting the comminuted material and moving it substantially parallelwith said vertical planes.

2. The herein described process which Y comprises maintaining aperforated centrifug al machine which is mounted upon a horizontal axisfull of liquid fusible material and projecting the material through beexerted upon the entire inner surface.

of said machine.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a perforated centrifugalmachine mounted upon a horizontal axis, means for rotating said machine,means for feeding material into said machine through a liquid tightjoint in the axis "thereof wherebysaid machine may be maintainedentirely full of said material, and a housing surrounding said machineand a conveyor in said hous- 5. In an apparatus of the class described,a perforated drum mounted upon a horizontalaxis,- means for rotatingsaid drum,

means for feeding materialintosaid drum and maintaining a static headupon all por- A tions of the interior of said drum.

6. In an apparatus of the class described,

a perforated drum mounted upon a hori zontal axis, means for rotatingsaid drum,

means for feeding material into said drum and maintaining a static headupon all portions of the interior of said drumand. a housing surroundingsaid machine and a conveyor in said housing which travels at Intestimony whereof I ture. v

- RICHARD mortar, Jn.

